Blog

As a part of our ongoing commitment to our community, PM Windows & Doors sponsored a neighbourhood cleanup day undertaken by the students at Pioneer Park Public School. The whole school received a pizza party complimentary of PM Windows & Doors.

Established in 1984, PM Windows & Doors has grown to be a leader in the window and door industry.
PM Windows & Doors works hard and has established a reputation for fairness and honesty by using quality products combined with customer… satisfaction.

Let’s begin with a primer on what Low-E glass is. PPG provides a more intense description of Low-E glass at http://educationcenter.ppg.com/glasstopics/how_lowe_works.aspx. In a nutshell, the coating in Low-E glass minimizes the the amount of ultraviolet and infrared light that can pass through glass without compromising the amount of visible light that is transmitted. The coating can be applied as hard coat where the top surface is heated to almost melting and the coating is injected below the surface. This glass can be easily handled after it is cooled. The coating can also be applied on the surface of room temperature glass. However, the coating cannot be touched after it has been administered. This is a process utilized by Cardinal Glass. The soft coating is available in three layers, 180 (single), 272 (double) and 366 (triple). Each additional layers reduces the amount of ultra-violet and infrared more which provides fade resistance. At the same time, the solar energy from the sun is reduced thus providing cooler glass surfaces which is beneficial in the summertime. However, the drawback is that, since glass performs the same all year round, cooler glass surfaces will also prevail in the wintertime. In Canada, where more of the year is spent heating our homes than air-conditioning them, multiple coated glasses can prove to be a disadvantage. The beneficial passive heat from the sun that would help warm our homes in the winter is being blocked by these multiple coated glasses. This fact is supported by the substantially lower Energy Rating numbers ( as specified by Energy Star ) for multiple coated glasses in comparison to single coated glasses, whether soft coat or hard coat. My advise is to select a multiple coated glass like Low-E 366 if you have rooms in your home that are unbearable to be in because of excessive summer heat or that fade resistance is extremely important to you. Select a single coat glass such as a hard coat or 180 if you want to retain the benefit of passive solar heating in the winter.

I have been asked by many customers if a benefit exists to having vinyl window frames filled with foam. There are some companies that charge a substantial premium for this feature. A few years ago, I came across an article that dealt with this issue. The article has been repeated in many forum postings such as this post at http://www.vinyl-replacement-windows.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=714. The testing and evaluation has been performed by Enermodal Engineering of Waterloo, Ontario. The result is that the net effect on the overall window is an increase of 0.1 improvement in total R-Value of the window. In comparison, selecting triple glazing over double glazing can improve the R-Value of the window by about 0.7; 7 times greater than the foam-filled frame feature. The foam filling is very visible and impressive in crosssection at trade shows, but performance should be the primary goal. As I tell my customers, common sense should also prevail. The largest area of the window is the glass, not the frame. Choosing your glass wisely will yield a better return on your investment than choosing the frame.

To enable our staff to better serve those with disabilities we have developed and put in place a plan that puts the customer first and lets the principles of independence, dignity, integration and equality of opportunity guide them.

Our employees have been instructed on:

The Accessibility of Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005

To consider a person’s disability when communicating with them

What to do if a person with a disability is having difficulty accessing our organization’s goods or services

Allow assistive devices such as wheelchairs, walkers and oxygen tanks

To welcome support persons and allow service animals

How to use any equipment or devices we have available to assist people with providing goods or services to people with disabilities

Let customers know when accessible services aren’t available

Invite customers to provide feedback

Our Full Corporate Accessibility Plan Is Available Upon Request

If you have any concerns comments or suggestions please direct them to my attention

Brand names can make a difference in long term performance and durability. We aren’t talking about your running shoes or your golf clubs; we are talking about the products that you invest in when you modify your home. Windows, doors and siding etc. come in various grades of quality. Just because it is a window, doesn’t make it a good window. Perhaps it’s time that you stop by and see what PM Windows & Doors can do for you?

The salesperson that is concentrating on “making the best deal” and going through every known sales trick he can think of, neglected to talk about the value. When there is no value all that is left is price. Our value proposition lies in the quality and value of our windows and doors. 50% of what you purchase is the product the other 50% is the installation.

So half of what we do is represent our chosen manufacturers, the other half are the people and staff of PM who provide the sales, installation and service. Once we communicate this to the customer and we are compelling in our proof statements or testimonials then the customer will both emotionally and logically make the decision to buy from us.

The sale is emotionally driven and emotionally decided. Then it is justified logically. The head is attached to the price and the heart is attached to the wallet. We can no longer think of our product as a commodity. It is all about the relationship and the perceived value. Not everyone will buy from us, 30-40% will always buy on price, the good news is that 60-70% will buy value if you provide it to them.

Lowest price is lowest profit. We believe in value that justifies our pricing. We use standard pricing across the board. There is not a chance that your neighbor got the same windows as you from us for a cheaper price. We provide consistency in pricing and do not change it depending on the weather, time of year or volume of business we have at that time.

What is value? Most companies talk about “value added” like it is an add on, something a little extra they are giving the customer after the sale has been made. But what does it really mean? How important is value? What role does it play in the buying and selling process?

Most people think of value as something that is added, as in value added over and above what you are already getting. Some small additional service, or something tacked on, a reduction in price or even something for free.

We look at it quite differently. Value is not something that you add, it is something inherent in the product, service and people that represent the company. The traditional idea indicates it is something that you get once you have purchased something. Something that is added after the sale. We feel it is something that is part of what we do and we give it away and give it often.

The value is in dealing with us, in our clean showroom, our attention to detail, our personal service, our interest in greeting you when you call or drop in. In helping you through the buying process with no pressure. The value is in the products and services we choose to sell. It is our installers who keep your property clean, who remove their shoes before entering your home, or say thank you when you offer them a cold drink or a coffee. Value to the customer is having the right person in the right position to deal with their concerns.

We are here to help you through the buying process for your home. We provide excellent advice prior to any transaction, we take the time to visit your home, find out your needs and come up with the correct solution. We provide high quality products and services that have been tested and proven for many years. We stand behind our work, our price and our people and our reputation means something to us. We are here to earn your trust and hopefully your business, we do not expect it or demand it and you can see that in our approach. What better value is there than a lifetime warranty and we have it!

Of course we want you to purchase from us, but we want you to do it on your terms and timetable not ours. It is a big decision and one that should not be taken lightly so we encourage our customers to compare us to what else is out there in the market place. It usually makes us look very good

“People don’t like to be sold but they love to buy!” It is our job as sales people and an organization to create an atmosphere where people want to buy. If they like you, believe in you and trust you and they have confidence in what you are saying, then they might buy from you. Notice the word might is underlined, there is no guarantee in this area.

The following is a partial list of some of the reasons that people buy. This is a list that was compiled by a well known sales consultant and popular speaker after taking the time to actually ask his customers why they buy? This list is in order of importance to the customer, not the sales representative.

They like their sales rep.

I understand what I am buying

I perceive a difference in the person and company that I am buying from

I perceive a value in the product that I am purchasing

I believe my sales rep

I have confidence and trust my sales rep

I feel there is a fit of my needs and their product or service

The price seems fair, but it is not necessarily the lowest

You will notice that this list is completely focused on what the customer wants not what the sales person is selling. In no part of this list is high pressure or any type of coercion mentioned at all. What I think is the important point to take away is not only why customers buy, but why our customers buy from us.

At PM we are always striving to make sure we know why our customers buy from us. We take the time to get to know them and find out what their needs are and to tailor our products and services to that end. Windows and door are often viewed as commodities, something that can be purchased just about anywhere these days. We do not see it that way. We feel that the window or door represents about half of what you are buying the other half is the installation and the company you are buying from.

When items are viewed or sold based on price alone then there is no value to anyone in the transaction. It becomes all about the price. Take a close look at who you are considering for these products. Is it all they sell or are they pushing all types of products. Do they have a lifetime warranty. Are they local, if you have to call for service is it from the company you purchased the items from?

Will the product and service meet your expectations throughout the life of the product? If it doesn’t how much value will you feel you got at that point? When you walk into our showroom you will not see rows of windows and doors with sticker prices on them. We do not do business that way. Each client is unique as is their home improvement needs. We build each item to fit their requirements, not the other way around.

There are a lot of factors to consider when hiring a contractor to do any work around your house. For most people we believe that trust is key. Trust in the company, products people and service. At PM windows and doors “Our Products and people Make the difference”. We have been doing this for over 30 years, it is all we do and we are really good at it. Our clients trust us to provide the best products and service we can at the price. Ask anyone who has ever dealt with us they will know the PM difference.

I don’t think I’m made of the right materials for either. The quality products from PM Windows & Doors are made of only the best materials. Want to know more? Why not stop by and see what PM Windows & Doors can do for you?